Shock absorber for draft gears



Sept. 2o, 1932. Q W. SHERMAN 1,877,999

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR DRAFT GEARS l Filed June 18, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 195% g 1g g5 lq 7 Q W w E Q N Q5 m 1 ,L @s 5 N- i QR E; y x 7 l if x i Nwb f n iig N b k* i v (1K/mugs 4 Sheets-Sheet 2l www@ c. w. rSHERMANFiled June 18, 192s SHOCK ABSORBER FOR DRAFT GEARS sept. zo, 192.2V

Sept- 20, 1932. C. w. SHERMAN 1,877,999

SHOCK AESORB-ER FOR DRAFT SEARS gmc/nto@ Sept. 20, 1932, c. w. SHERMAN1,877,999

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR DRAFT GEARS Filed June 18, 1928 4 sheets-sheet 4`@plurality of' 'sets of ntercalatedfrton" The numeral 'Ojfepre'Sentstheflongtud- S i 15 that the clearance between-the followers and f5engaging With .thewedgel plates.,

Patented Sept.'20,` 193l2 4 j 'ci 'i i s f um@ y5S!reiTES N 'ZOFF'ICECLIFTON W. srmaiyirlnjoalnaivrrmon; @waardige-Ananaf'l I' H Y''..fslriooiraiasoaisaa Foru naar@ i Y; nnlcation liB, A..Srelial No. i YI This inyentionrelatesto tyoeo'fshoek Way vcars yfhich" may varyiinconstruction; 'absorbers Whiohs morefpart'cularly dethey same inthe'present oase's shown incons'gned for-onshioning theshook of Veryheavy uCtOnW'ith a draft gealf,willich,iSl CGHSIIICf loads7` such aslrailway cars;- andinwhch'a ed essentially as fQlQWgr;

plates are `employed -which 'slide.lengthwise 'Hill 'draft v VSlllSQttlie draft gear which @FQ relar-velytoone another during-,theeompresarranged lengthwlse 911 theundeslde ofthe Asion of therrr'rechzmismv and absorb the loadv real' body kbutA*spaced`aparlqandlfatllly prnepauyfby fracasan resispancaf., .i femmeelements 0f 'the lowerr part Qff the lof `VThe objects of this inventionaremto lim- C31' fram@- l. i vprove the means lforpressing togethertheBEWGQQ th? from 13311591' 911ml" eldoif multiple frictionplates` 'andlcause said Vjoresthese @m5111515 arranged lfllogltlldmal mQV- 'surecreatingmeans* to` act easier andfmore able yQke 91' yoke Strap. WIE-Chm, the Bre" Y effectively; als-O tovsovorganzethe mechanism fer-redconstruction Consists of two Vlong1tu.-

theffiaion rates" can be mail varied@ the im@ .Sde's'o thel'snd a@.TOSSba uit the desed *capacity of Afhgabsorber; 12connegct1ng the rearends ofthese sidebarsj o and also to s0 'regulatev the travel ofthemechas hOW inY Figsg 311914'A l l, v Between'thefront ends of the okeside that@ my act-10 Qf the ,ge-ar 1S Perf bars 111 is 'Manfred aCouplind elogi; 13 and 7b mitted during themalnpart offtheuolosing t:tlff b1...1 t db, va l f t., strokeanda high resistanee is produceddur- O1, ljcghls plm?, e dlyfnlapshQ-L* 17? o eg the er@ of the Stmk@ a@s ara za-2f a in order to reduceothe possibilityof the gear 11 dpr.thth- Th v fx t f l -becoming501MLH .vl o v Y?. coup e W1 ano er. Y eron .en o In v*the accompanying drawings: 1 v i v vr A. v. l

Y rear end of the shankl are V`supported so as E15-mes l andgrelemcallongltud-ml to heb@ abre'o'r Snam@ lemahwse but had ubectlon taken on1-1 nes @digi-Z'Flg' iaoainst Iiertical dis Jlaoeemetilt b means of lirespctfelyuand ,1.S a Stlsiagtoly l etnllod abmain supportinglrieyl.Whichvasseshorimen `O my mventlon monle'vlorm'o S OC Vzontallyand transversely 4through kthe front 370 part of the'coupling block 13,the rear part ofthe shank 15the front part-of the pivot pinv 14, and.Ialso through the ylongitudi'nal slots 17 formed in the front parts of'theyoke Vsidebars' 11 and' through longitudinal'slots 35 18o-formed 'inthe ladjacentV front parts' of the Voars'ills 10.17V l 1 Y y' Thebackward' or inward movfementof absorber. l Y 1 Y Figure 3 isl a top'plan View of the shock absorber, partly insection, the sectional partbeing taken on line 3 3 Fig'. '1. I'

Figurer 4; is Va horizontal sectionl taken on- F-igures 5,' 6 afld 7are'vertioal'transverse sections' jtaken on theV correspondingly num-Vbered lines in Fi-g.1,'andf looking in the di# y t Y -rectionof the'Yarrows associated with these the yoke 1S h mlted byv engagemelltvof.,lts e0 lines. jv s y cross bar 12 with a rearor inner sto-p, 19ar- 90 Y'A Figures 8 andi 9 are: side elevationsv repre'- rangd between the CarrSms 10 iandy'svued senting modiied'forms of the Wedge plates there@ 1Hapysptbl@ mallg'lj L which are arranged on opposite sides of the Thelongltudinal slots 1.184 ofthe car' sills paelr'o friction platesyandthe Wedge,- shoes are Sufciently long SO- tha the, mam C011- In the.following description similar iCharfle'a'wbidly fll tSventral'.or;vneutral p05- acters of reference,indieatelike parts inthe sitions' the`requisite extent when apulling orA bui'ng' load vis applied,to thecoupler and several'l'gures of the drawings. Y* o j Although thisimproved s l'lorclr absorber the draft, rigging.'

f5 mayb@ embdiedin the ma gears f ma; Tua-Slots 17 `in theykesids'bisargf la ding-al side bars ll'arranged lengthwisealong 65y Ypling key l'is free to mo'ye'lforwardly. and 9 5V such length and solconstructed that in the neutral or normal positions of the parts thekey 16 engages with the front end of the slots 17 and thev cross bar 12of the yoke engages with the rear stop 19, and when a buflingload isapplied to the car coupler the yoke will remain stationary and the key16 will move` inwardly or 'rearwardly in the slots 17 of the yoke, butduring aY pulling load upon the coupler the main key 16, by

engagingwith the front ends yof the slot 17 ,A

will move the yoke'forwardly' and away from the rear stop 19.

Due to this construction the rear cross bar 12 of the yoke remainsstationary and the Vcoupling block 13 moves rearwardly toward the yokecross bar during-a builing action,

butf'during a pulling action on the gear both the coupling block 13 andthe yoke cross bar 12 lmove -forwardly together. The preferredforin ofshock absorber forming thel subject` of this invention and associatedwiththel parts of the draft rigging j ust described is constructed asfollows:

`The numeral V20 represents a front follower and the numeral 21 a rearfollower nwhich, are arrangedbetween the side bars of the yokefand eachof which is made inthe form of ahollow casing or shell which opens.inwardly toward the other follower and is In the space `between lthesidebars of theKV yoke and "projecting at their opposite ends `into thehollow .followers is a` central pack of friction plates`24, 25 which arearranged in the form of two sets or groups which are intercalatedlwitheach other and are slidable lengthwise relatively to one anotherwith their opposing flat sides in engagement.

Each of these friction plates fisiconstructed substantially in the formof the `letter T and the narrow inner partsof these friction `platesoverlapone another vwhile the wide outer parts of the friction platesofone set normally project outwardly beyond the innerV or;l narrow partsof the friction plates of the otherset. y A.As-shown in Figs. 1 and-4 ofthe drawings, the wide heads 26 of the front set ofplates 24 and thenarrow-inner ends of the rear lset of plates25 are arranged within thehollow Vfront follower 20, and the wide outer ends 26 of the rear set ofplates andthe inner ends Aof the narrowV parts of the front set ofplates `24 are'arranged within the hollow'rear follower 21.; Theenlarged outer ends 26 on ,Y ythe front set of plates 24 produceinwardly Y AfaCIlg SvhOllldeIS 27 'within the front folseadapted toengagewithia rearwardly faclower 2O on opposite longitudinal edges ofthis set of friction plates,.and the enlarged outer ends 26- of the rearset of friction plates form inwardly facing shoulders 28 on oppositelongitudinal edges thereof within .of which'isV such that thecorresponding inclines 2,9 of the two shoe friction plates 24a divergeinwardly from the outer 'ends-of the sov respective outermost plates,asshown in Fig. Y 1. VAdjacent to the inner endstof the front landrearfollowers are arranged spring seats or spring followers BO and 81,the VfrontV `spring seatV 30 being provided on its `opposite Y sidesadjacent` to the edgesfof the friction plates with outwardlyprojectingrestoring lugs 32" which Yextend into the adjacent spaces`between the llongitudinal edges of the friction plates and the walll ofthe "front follower 2O and are adapted'to engage with the inwardlyfacing shoulders 27 of the .front set of friction plates, andtherearspring seat 31 is likewise provided onV its opposite sides withoutwardly projectingure'- storinglugs 33 which extend into the adjacentspaces between the edges of the friction plates and the wall of thefollower 21 and are adapted to engage'withthel inwardly facing'shoulders28 of the rear set of A`friction plates. p Surrounding parts of the yokeside bars 11 `is arranged ka main' resistance spring 34 whichiscomparativelyheavy and bearsat its front and rear ends against the innersides of the front seat 30 the same is providedwith forwardlyAprojecting drag lugs 3,5, each of which is arranged between the vouterside of the wall of the front follower 2O and theinner sideof theadjacent yoke side bar 11 and is ,-provided :with a rearwardly facingshoulderv` 36V which is adapted to engage with a forwardly' facingshoulder 37 on the outer side of theadj acent part of the'wall ofthefront follower-IT20. Similarlythe rear spring seat 31 is'fp'rovided onits oppositepsides with rearwardly proranged betweenthe outer side ofthewall of one of the yoke side bars, and is provided ywith a forwardlyfacing-shoulder 39 which Ythe central partofthev pack of friction platesandv between' the centrali- 'terasse Y 4@nearfollower wall'. Y

Jetween, thefront; and rear i.; followers;

varraageda spring resistance which in addition-Ito; absorbingY pant ofthefloaclI when the v may-be arranged :underneaththe front; folgear is`su-bj eeted, to. a' eompressionaalso; serves to release-,the gear andl`permit'the severalparts '.tomove n-toftheir opem'releasedo1 neutral.,p0'siaon. n1, the-preferred rom .or ein 'ego release spring mechanismtheisameconsists-of :a plurality ofooinparatively ,lig-ht releasing`springs 41, preferablyfonr `ine-number, two

of Vwhich are arranged: lengthwise ahone'tlie manspring onoppositesidesof' the lonf'gitu-y vdr-inail'. center of the-'gear and A.the other two.below ,.the'nlain spring onfepposite sidessof .the longitudinalcontorni the gear.

Each of these.releasing-springs bears" at' its .OPROSQ- .endsagainstilugs 42,4 48a projecting laterally from the-inner`partsi ofthefront .llowersgZQ` girasy best shown jin Figs. 2 and s.

-. v.The separation'of thesefollOwers :ited when compressionfuponlthegea-ris; 11-

v.moved by stop4 means which also serveto hold releasing springs intheir operative. polsi Y.

ton,these stop rneansfor this; purpose consisting preferably ofaplurality of Vstop'rods Y 44; each VV.of which passes .lengthwsethrough`one of the releasing springsfl` iandaa pair; of lugs. 4:2, 43 on the'Vfront and rea-r; followers, fandf, is provided at one end witha head.4.5 .bearing against the outer side-of one'otthese lugs,.and a .key 46at its opposite end bearing f'. against` the: outerl side oftheyrespective :lu-g

ontheotlier follower?. During theoperation the front and, rearfollowers:Q05v 2l Vmove `lengthwise betweengthesills of the .car .and tdnring suchmo-vement, the sameinay be supe Yported and guided in anysuitablemanner,

for example the front followerQQV may he` slidi'ngly supported onthesillsl by means .of transverse horizontal keys47passingthronghhorizontall transverse openings 48,'481formed in-V the upper and lower.parts of the'front follower, and. alo-ngthe Yupper land .lower edgesrresptvly, ofthe adjacent parts of the yoke side' bars 11 andthroughflon'gitndi'- nalslotsnthe sills 1 0, as shownfin Figs.v

l, Zand. ,4.

. V'If .desiredlsiniilar befenployed.

for supporting therear foi-lower 2'1 bypassing such. keys throughhorizontal-a transverse openings 5l .in thel upper and'lowergparts of.

the rear follower'and extendingsuch keys along the upperand lower side-sof the yoke vsides Vhars andV through .longitudinal Vv'slots inthepsill's of the fra-Ine-sirnillarftogthefV slots 50 which receivethekeys/l'l. A ,l In. the preferred-qconstr-uction l the rearf follower2l is supported so asfto-'jpermitrthe salneto` move lengthwise daringthejopera tion of the. shock absorber bynieans. of a plate '52 arrangedalongthe jun-derside ofthe' i lf, desired, a; similar rhorizontaliilate; .'53 i lower fQDea-nd' in engagernent therewith andsecured: at fitsf opposite endsto the A,lower fed'gesuoftheaear .sills110; as showniiniEig's. and'; and thereby; assist the keysd'in guidingor slidingly supportingthe Ermtffol` Y leweis duringfits; longitudinal.Inwernentv x yThe numeral1541represents.twofront vv'vealge shoes or.members: which f are arranged on opposite sidesfof theffro-n'tend ofthepackt of :o

.friction platen and each of which lig. :provided with' an innerAlongitudinal incline `55 part of oneofthe wedgeplatesla, atransverseinoline '.56 engaging withanfincline 57 V.on Tthe-outenside ofthe frontispring=-seat30 vland: ani inclined/face, .5.8 engaging with.anfincl-ined. facefj59 on, the adjacent -pafraofr the` zinnen endofrthe' front follower O20. ..The w g Vinchurled :faces f .55 of the5two front .1. wedge VVshoes diverge; rearwardly i at a comparativelysharp. angle',A the: inclined faces 5.8l of these' yshoes diverge lrearwardly; at tay .considerably :engaging-*with the incline29;.onfthefront greater angle than theincline's 55',v andthe angles ofther Cooperating; inclined .l surfaces 562,; 57 of the.' frontxwedgeshoes Aconverge rear- 'vvaf, iglyv,AV f and are; relatively. obtusecompared v .with the angles: ofthe cooperating incl-ined v afanes5.8959.. L f. .y .i l Thefrnulneral. '60 represents two #rear vwedgeshoes which. are arranged f onv opposite sides .of vthejpack of frictionplates,.land'-eachsof "these rear shoesiis' provided. withanwinnerV vVloilgitu,d-inal*iiicliled ksurface'.F61 whiehgen- [gages] with; the;.a'djacent inclinedsurfacei 29 of; the.-.1'e$pective wedge: frictionplates,.an inner: inclined.; 'face 162 Aengaging with `the y-correspondingly inclined.,facev` on ,the adjce'ntpa'rt ofi: the: 1 rearspring seat-931; .and

anv inelnedface 6e engagngzwith-the correspondingly. inclinedv face`65*` onfthe adjacent v.

part'of the inner endI of the rear'follower 21e.

The angles of the cooperating inclined sur.-

faoesl' and Z9-lare comp arativelyv steep; and

the--y two inclined surfaces 6l 'of` the. two' rear .shoes 6.0 divergeforwardly, the g angles ,of the iis .enoperating Vinclines 6251-63 are`relatively obtiise-I, the incl/ined surfaces 62-oftherea`r shoesconverge forwardly, and the angles of .the *i cooperating. surfaces L64,65 are-relatively acute ..5 and diverge: inwardly or:.forw`ardly atagreat'er angle .than the surfaces E 6l .and 29. i The-[operation offt-hiss-hock absorberis'as In; "the fullyl expanded-'.fco-ndition of?.the :Shock absorber the front keys i'ibear against thefront'fends of.the slot 50i-inthezcarv-sills 1"A120 n A lsandthefreargcrossfbar l2ofthe yokebears Shownin Fig; 4in-.Y

;. tightly and a muchgreater friction-al con- 1659 plates moverearwardlyiin a'mass until the Vouter ends of the rear set vof frictionplates -In `thisfully expanded position "of the shook absorber thereturn lugs 32,33 ofthe spring seats, by engaging with thel shoulders 27and 28 of the friction plates 4hgaiverwithdrawn these twosets of platesapart length- Vwise .asfar asposs-ible, and' in this position of theseplates the outer-ends of each set-f 'plates is separated by anintervening gap from 'the "adj acent -inner surface of therespectivehead 22 'of the adjacent follower, `as shownin Figs. l and 4.`

Upon now subjecting the shock absorber to pendent of thefriction'plates,the vhead 22 ai bufing orpushing load Vwhich will causev vthe front follower'20 to move rearwardly to- Y i "L this timei's`stationary,jthe initial Epart 'of this rearward movement of thefrontI followerV Ward the rear follower 21," which latter at `will beeectedindependently ofv-theyfriction plates.lr During theN first part of'this rear- `ward-movement of the front follower indelthereof takes upthefslack between thesame and the outer ends of the" front'set'offriction lplates, and thereafterthis-Vhead 122 off'the 'front followerengages the outer ends ofthe v-ffront set of friction plates sothatduring 'the l continued rearwardV mov-ement` of .the

front follower the front set ofY plates moves rearwardly therewith. y v

' `While the Vfront follower is `m'ovingrearjwardly independently of fthev friction plates, lthe'cooperating inclined surfaces 58 and 59-produce a'wedging effect between the front follower and the front pairof wedge shoes 54, whereby the latter are moved transversely Vinward'toward the longitudinal axis of the shockf absorberfwhich Vinwardmovement is, however, `yieldingly resistedV by the 'main vspring 34.Whilethe front follower is thus acting on the 'front pair-of'wedge shoesand moving them transversely inwardy theseshoes are also moved to amoderate extentrlength- 4'wise inwardly orurearwardly on the outermostfriction plates or'shoe plates 24a of the `pack,;whereby an additionalinward wedging eect of these shoes is producedon the pack of frictionplatesdue to the cooperation of the inclined surfaces 29-and 55 so thatthe 1 friction plates are now pressed ytogether more Vtact is'fp'roducedbetween the same so that a much greater load will be'required vto moveone set of plates lengthwise relatively-to the other. Y Y

.wedge action of the cooperating in'clines between the front shoes andthe front ends of the'wedge plates and front follower, these also engagewith the head 22 ofthe-rear follower. While the mass of plates is vthusA,

Vmoved rearwardly en masse, the cooperating inclines between the rearpair` of wedge y In addition'to this toward the rear spring seat3l.; j

Y After the two sets of friction have been thus pressed tightly'togetherby the shoes and -thelrear parts vof the frictionshoe i plates24erl and the rear follower cause'the rear part'ofthepack of plates tobe pressed'trans- `versely inward, and thereby increase the fricftionalgrip of thevfriction plates-upon one "another throughout the rear partofthe pack the same as in the front part thereof."

(As the front follower continues its rear- Vward movement after thesameengagesthe 5 front endsof the front set offriction plates andthe rearends of the rear set of' friction lplates engage'with the head '22 oftherear fiiower, the-front VSet 4of plates is? moved time arestationary.4Aslthetwo sets of friction plates at this are pressed togethercrosswise' of the gear, the same loffer a high fric- "tional resistancein `opposition to such movement, whereby the shoc'lrof theload whichprodu-ces this relativefmovement of the parts is? absorbed.

This .fr-ictional'Y grip between the* two .sets :of frictionplates'increases 'as the backward movement of thev front followerand-front set Y of plates progresses toward the rear follower and rearset ofplates, vinasmuch yas this contmued rearward movement causes thecooperating -inclinedjsurfac'es Q between the several members at Athefront and rear ends vofthe gear t'o increase4 their wedging effectlo'ngitndinally rearward relativelylto the rear `set offriction plates,whichlatterf'at' this and thereby increase the intensityf ofthepressureunder-which the friction platesjjarek pressed together,- therebygradually. increasing the frlctional shock abs'orbingcapacity of thegear as the load whichproduces this pressure-increases. j y a nfrlctional resistance the -rearward movementjof the front followervissprin g-resisted" by the releasing springs which `are interposedbetweenthefollowers and also 'bythe main spring 34 which is interposedbetween'thespring-seatsk 30, 3l due to the fact thatwhen thisigear'iscompressed the front 'follower moves towardv the-rear'follower and thefront springseat 30 is moved4 rearwardly When Vthe load which'producedthe compressionof the gear isrelaxed orremoved,

'.the Vfirst effectl isthat the releasing springs 41 will movethe frontfollower forwardly and thereby relieve the wedging effect of the f:front'followeron the front wedgeshoes,iand

thereby. permit the `latter to move transversely outwardawayfrom'opposite sides vof the cause's'fthe latter tobelinovedfforwardlyand i Y Y away from the head 22f'offthe rear follower 2l; V`hut 'forwardv mevement of" lthe rear set of friction plates is arrested uponengagenient'of-ltheshoulders' thereof with the during abufling orpullingaction, :the only Y' diierence-beingthat'during-a pull'ingactionherrearfj set 'of frictionif returnfl'ugs 331 ofthe rear spring followeref-ofspringseatei; 1

' At' thesametime shoes GOnOvev forward lslightly dueto the friction'a'ldrag and the lowering of the' pres f s'thaft the gripfb'etween theseveralV friction pansion ofthe `main'fspring 3454 vcauses' the frontspring Aseat 30v to :pushthe front shoes 54 forwardly and- 1 at `thesame 'time *pull 'the' f .front set of lfriction plates forwardly rela-2G*i tivelyto therear v'set ofV friction plates "until repre'sented iinlFig's 141i.' l

"During such movement-of the 'front set-of frietion'plates theres'still' 'a substantial -fric- 25 tionaliengagement of the--same with therear set lof 3'friction plates so that )the opening 1orV releasing of;the A` gear "isf-effected l'gradually-1 instead of suddenly, therebyavoiding-anyinf.`v

jurious effect onf the gear `or the rigging-er the oargo'in thecar.

to such aneXtent -thattheycannot -be pulledapart lreadilyby )theexpansion of. the' :main 357.

spring;V inasmuch asafthe forwardly .facing shoulders SZof the front:follower 1un`der such conditions .engagethe rearwardly facing-. @1.912shoulders 36 on the front springfseatgSO,fand.,

therebyraidthe main Yspringf'iii moyinglthefront:spring:.seatrforwardly, so rthatgnow .the

combined effect of l ithe main and' releasing Y' springs operates upon,they shonlderszQf offthe..:.

15 front set of friction :plates and thereby; moves the gs'ameforward.Y

and-:rear:setszoflfrictionplatesimovetqgethen Y 5u .il until, the:shoulders f39 of ,the `rear l spring f Seat;` 3l engage fwiththeshoulders 140 `of the rear follower, but after engagementlv of ltheshouldersgjnstimentioned the rear set ofifriction plates is.helda'gainst further forward Inove- 652 nient-due to thefengagement ofthe "shoulders 28 Lvv-ththe lugs-3301i the rearsprin'g'sea@ thereafter..the .fr-.ont .set of .-friction plates .is rmoved1forwardly'into itsforemost f positionv independently `of .the .rear setV `'of 1 86:5friction plates.

When the shocklah'sorher is sulojectedito a pulling action duringwhichthe yoke mQYed forwardly; hy the.. coupler, the erear Vfollower 21 landas'sociatediparts are moved gggfqfjwrdly relative tov thefront .follower.20.'l l

inclined surfaces `29 which are engagedby 39' and4 associated parte',`andfdiring such faction" sure o-f the main "spring Bilagainstfthe sameisorbed frictionallyI and before "the full .stroke j the gear can-*hevaried `loyincreasing or -de- VAlf-,iIduringy the release of the Agearsthe ltwo' sets-loffrictionfiplates should stick together:

spring etar-then whe/:expansion Lof. the -releasingspri-ngs i 41.. is.futilizedzfto :aid 1the. .ma1n Y 27, 428 'ionathe .crnaizgins thereof.

' tivelyito eachother, .and `thereby increasfetle "During-.thefirs't'part'of-Qthisforwardanovef; frlctlOn-al S O a Sgr mg capacl y 0 l.e ment the plates stick together and the front ..1 friction platesandthe outer ends fther'eof, the gap lloetween :the kontenen'ds of Pthesets *of a transverse wedge pressure is produced'upon the kmultiplefriction platesinexactly fthe same mannerin which 'this wasaccomplishedV release of .the kgear after a'pulling action Lis I alsof`identical A`with that describedjwith lreference to the ,release vafterlbufling action; exceptingfthat this releasing operation-after theV4pull-ing vaction' ,is 'reverse :to y that of" the l. releasingloperation 'whichffollowsl Va loufingi action. l i L YThe relativelarrangennentV and organization of theseveral parts 4ispreferaloly'suchvso'that the maximum Iload which is likely to lue im-l posed u'pon theshock alesorloer"v will'he'f ab-s` @5f ofthe gearhasloeeneihausted,I-therehypre! gaging with opposite ends off-thefriction plates which otherwise would cause-the gear4 toA go solidland'jprodu'ce a racking effect Cto] 901 some extent on fthe 'car andthe cargo carried therein; f @i ff The kintensity of the frictional gripoffthe friction platesoneupon another cross-.Wise-of VVllrenthis fdistanceisV made comparati el short',thegap Aloetween the outer endlofeac setsof friction :plates :andthe head :ofthe cory responding:follower `will berincreasedisothat an 'increase' in the transverseyinwardpressure against vthe vseveral plates v.will:occuriloe'fore thefriction plates are moved lengthwise relasame.'..

friction .plates and ztheheads ofthe followers isreduced,thereby'reducin-g'thexextent of the idle movement of the followerslrelativelyf-to thevfri-etionzplates before :the latter 4are engagedVandthereloy .also .reducing .the wedge action upon ithe friction`plates.whereby :the vlatter are `pressed together .sozthatfa'frednctioninthe frictionalresistance ofthe iplatesirelaltivelyto.oneanotherresults therefrom'.

In the yconstruction of the zgear, shown sin` l Fig. 1,.,each of `the.outermostffriction :pilates ,Mavis made inonepiece Vandthesame is.-providedadjacent te it'sloppositefends'withthe1 l Egeland si.

gggfriction platesvfor pressing them together is t A i i. i 1 -11 Y due,entiiely to the cooperation of tie in .lowers 7mo-ved..longltudlnallyyrlnwar they the longitudinal ,inclined surfacesoflthe'.l wedgefshoes.

jIf desired,leach of the outermost friction plates may be` divided intotwo sections '245, 124e and thesewedge sections maybe providedrespectivelywith outer inclined surfaces 29av which are engaged by theinner inclined surfarces-55a ofthe adjacent wedge shoes tmas fslOWIljinlFigjS. y.. Y y 105;: In such all, Organization each sectionofthe 4 divided outer wedge friction plate is provided with individualinwardly facing shoulders 27g, 28a for engagement by the return lugs 32and 33' of .thehfront rearspring seats Y ,.In'another modified form ofthis inventionv each *.olfg'theoutermost friction plates of the packvmay be split into, :two sectionsQldand 24e, each of whichy is providedon itsouter 20""l's1de` :mth a Surface 296 Whlch 1S Parallel'wlbh thefollowers to` the wedge shoes, while lthe the cooperating surfaces ofthe several friction platesinstead of being Varranged at Aananglelthereto, as shownin Fig. 9, in which construction the -wedgingfeffect upon the clines betweenthe followers and the wedge slioes.5,4b. yv l During the release of the gear the lateral `ggifiioirement of theshoes for reducing the infV ward pressure against the friction plates is`facilitated by the comparatively vflat inclined lcooperatingvsurfaces56, 57 and 62, 63 betweenv the. Wedge shoes `andAthe opposing fspring afsseats, thereby insuring aprompt release ofthegeani'` By varying the'l angles of the inclinedcooperating-surfacesbetween-the shoes and thel followersand the spring seats -it is possibleto Q predetermine the gripping effectof the friction-plates one uponanother, as-besti'suits a A particular' .purpose or character of workwhich the shockabsorber is intended to perform;

By em-ployinga dierential angle 'in the wedging engagement of thewedgeshoes with the followers and the spring seats it is possible toobtain a greater lateral travel of the P shoes and ,an increasedVlfrictional resistance liggenl thewedgingangle surface.` Thisfacilitatesre-lease of the gear at the front and rear i ends of the`same, inasmuch as one angle at' each end is self-releasing when allthe-pres-V sure is relieved. :i i 5.5.5 'lhisorganization of shockabsorber permits of producing a draft gear which has' a suflicientwedging capacity to do considerable work with areduced movement of theplates, G0in other words-by so'constructing the gear @lf-that it ispossible to vary the end clearance betweenu-the'plates and thefollowers, this permitsthe wedge shoestotravela greater extent duringthe-initial part of travfel dur.

6 5ingthecompressionstroke, and then reaches couplerf'key only.

mitting the its maximum Capacity `during fhefm ,Pori

ment is highly advantageous in connection` with intercala'tedmultipleplategears-by the we'dging and frictional engagement Vof the j,cooperating inclined surfaces of the shoes and f outermost frictionplates.: This willbejap'- Y parent when it is understoodthat there ja ntendency forl the shoes to travel `inwardly. in a straight line with thewedging *housingV which however isvovercome Vby theV slight lateraltravelwhich is imparted to the lshoes by rea-5 son of their secondarywedging engagement4 l withthe outermost friction plates.

By this means `the frictional, resistance of 1 erating inclines ofthewedgevshoes. Itvfollows from this construction ,-thatwhen'a .fol-

wedge shoes will be forced laterally or transf-i versely outward fromthe friction platesand- .v longitudinally inward from-1 the respectivefollowersfthereby 'breaking down .the high .ssft

frictional resistance which exists. betweenV these parts when the `sameare-at rest. While I have shown and described z the well-knownhorizontal yokeconstriiction for draft gears,'.vertical yolies ofthesofcalled v A.v R. A. type using front-,sill stops can be. used, thuseliminating the front'keys through thedraft :gears Vand into the sills,and using-- Although I have shownz these iirelease ioo springs'bearingVon fthe; opposedV follower l. i

Vniembersin all the illustrations,`it willbe noticed that the' angle ofengagement be-V tween eachvshoe andits housing can be `made more abrupt,thus forming a-self-releasing draft gear in combination withVintercalat-ed lates.

shoe'. friction plate and follower may vary" considerably, the angle ofengagement between the shoe and the shoe friction plate" beingcomparatively flat and therefore high,V

in wedging eect, while the angle of engagef ment of the shoe withlthefollower isrcorri-y paratively steep vand therefore low in wedgi'ngeifect, but practicallyselflreleasing'upon re- VIt follows from thisthat the angular'veni* v gagement4 of each shoe with the respective"115. i

sets of intercalatedffriction -plateswwhich are slidable Ylengthwiserelativelyto one an?V v' other, front and rear lfollowers each having atransverse plate adapted to engage the outer ends of one set of frictionplates and slotted v parts extending fromjeach of said transverse plateslengthwise Valong the opposite-sides y vof the respective end of thesets of friction plates, transverse pressure creating means whereby uponmovement of one of saidv followers toward the other said friction platesY are pressed together and upon movement of one of said followers 'awayfrom the other the transverse pressure upon said friction plates isreduced, means"v for guiding said followers on the `sills'of 2L .Carincluding` keys passing through said. slotted parts, and

means for causing said sets of frictionv plates Y to be drawn apartduring release of the mechanism. Y

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

CLIFTON W. SHERMAN.

